×
App Icon
The Standard e-Paper
Join Thousands Daily
★★★★ - on Play Store
Download App

India closes its railways for the first time in 167 years over Covid-19

Thousands queue to buy train tickets at a railway station in Mumbai, India on March 21, 2020. [Reuters]

The rising number of positive coronavirus cases in India has prompted its government to convert railway carriages and sport stadiums into isolation wards in a bid to deal with an anticipated surge in the cases.

The railway network which is the world's fourth-largest rail operator and India's oldest and biggest employer was suspended for the first time in 167 years after Prime Minister Narendra Modi imposed a nationwide lockdown on March 25.

Get Full Access for Ksh299/Week.
Bold Reporting Takes Time, Courage and Investment. Stand With Us.
  • Unlimited access to all premium content
  • Uninterrupted ad-free browsing experience
  • Mobile-optimized reading experience
  • Weekly Newsletters
  • MPesa, Airtel Money and Cards accepted
Already a subscriber? Log in